Nightlight
by HorrorZombabe
Summary: The first real glimpse of the world was so cruel to Shilo.  Who will she turn to for guidance?  The tough, rough, but lonely Zydrate peddler or the misunderstood face-stealing prince of GeneCo?  She will light the way for both of them and millions more.
1. Nightlight

I do not claim to own Repo! or any of the characters associated. I do not make any profit from this writing.

The rating is for a reason.

Nightlight

Chapter One: Out from the Night

His head hurt terribly. He groaned and rolled over on his side, a bit of exposed flesh hitting the cold asphalt as his thin shirt rode up. The cold sent a shiver through him and he sat up, cradling his throbbing head.

Graverobber thought back to how he got here. The last thing he remembered was the kid. She asked him for a hit, he gave her the needle, and then nothing. _Did she hit me? _he asked himself. He shrugged it off. What did it matter? He was now in an alley behind the GenoCo building. The real dilemma he had to face now was how to get out of here.

Graverobber looked around him. He needed his coat. It was far too cold out here and between that and the blood rushing out of his head, he wasn't feeling too swell. He found his tote and tool kit thrown in the mud. He sighed and shook his coat to get some of the sludge off and threw it over one arm. He did the same with the tool kit and shoved it in and unharmed pocket of his coat. He drew his brows together and lifted his fist to give a lovely gesture to the glowing GeneCo logo.

He took a few steps and steadied himself on a nearby dumpster, still recovering from hanging for so long. He stumbled slowly down the alley, bracing himself on the brick walls for support while he found his legs.

_What happened at the Opera?_ he found himself thinking as he picked up a discarded newspaper. Shilo's face stared up at him from the front page. _How long was I out? _he thought.

Graverobber flipped through the pages, taking in what he had missed of the Opera. After reading all he needed of the abomination, he threw it angrily against the pavement. _Damn Kid was actually looking for a cure,_ he thought as he walked toward the street. He jumped on the back of a GeneCo clean up truck. "GeneCo! Cleaning up the city since '030," it chimed morbidly.

_Poor Kid, _he mulled as he relaxed against the back of the truck. He shrugged the thought and checked his tools. One needle was missing. _I can live with that, _he thought. He glared as the truck passed the Wallace residence. The lights were all off. He checked his pocket watch and hopped off the truck, curiosity taking control.

Graverobber stood in front of the gates for a few moments before hopping it in one swift movement. _Why should I care? _he asked himself. He stared into the darkened windows. _She's only a kid, _he debated with himself.

_But what can she do for you? _A voice in his head spat back at him. Angry with himself, he tore his eyes from the windows and walked back up the path toward the gates. He froze when he heard a soft cough.

"Who's there?" he whispered loudly. He heard another series of coughs followed by a painful moan. "Kid, is that you?" he asked, noting the feminine tones.

"I can't get in," she whispered painfully, pulling herself from beneath the stairs. She was struggling. Graverobber held his free hand out to her. She pulled herself up using his arm. "The doors are locked," she explained, "The crypt, too. I never had a key."

Graverobber took in her appearance. She was in that tiny black dress, blood dried down her back and in her hair. Her fishnet gloves were torn and her body was spotted with dirt. Shilo's legs gave way and she collapsed onto the ground.

"Kid-" he started. She looked up at him with the saddest eyes he had ever seen. He felt a pang in his chest.

"I'm so cold," she whispered as she shifted her eyes to the door. "Can you open it?" Shilo asked, looking at him again with hopeful eyes.

"I break into tombs, Kid, not homes," he said, a little harsher than he intended. He felt a little guilty as she tore her eyes from him. "But I can try," he said finally. He shifted his coat and pulled out his tool kit. He shook his coat again. "It's a little damp," he said bluntly as he tossed it to the tiny figure on the ground.

Shilo draped the coat over herself and relished into the residual warmth he had left with his body heat. She felt so very cold. Nothing in the world had ever made her feel this uncomfortable. _Maybe because I've never seen the world,_ she thought to herself.

Shilo pulled the coat tightly around her as Graverobber walked up the steps. He glanced nervously over his shoulder. A few moments later, he flung the door open. He gave Shilo and accomplished grin and gestured her inside with a bow.

Shilo struggled off the ground and slowly climbed the stairs. Graverobber pulled his coat from her shoulders as she passed through the doorway. Shilo gave him a frown. "Have a good night, Kid," Graverobber said as he turned to the steps.

"Stay," he heard her whisper as he felt a tug on his dirty shirt sleeve, "Please."

Graverobber whipped around with a wicked grin. "And what do I get out of it?"

Shilo looked at him in horror. Graverobber bit his tongue as soon as the words left his mouth. Shilo's face softened.

"What would make you stay?" she asked hesitantly.

Graverobber thought for a moment before speaking. "A hot shower, to start," he began, "A hot meal, and a warm bed." He paused for a moment, gauging her reaction. _And what I wouldn't give for you to be in that bed, too, _a voice sounded in his head.

Shilo stepped back, locking eyes with him, and let him through the doorway. Graverobber looked around the dark foyer, illuminated only by the portrait above the fireplace.

"My mother," Shilo said softly, closing the door as she noted his interest. Graverobber remained silent. "Can you figure out how to turn it off?" she asked weakly. Graverobber looked at her and back at the portrait. He switched the tiny toggle on the side of the portrait and the room darkened. He noted the eerie glow coming from the upstairs hallway.

"Do you-" he started.

"Turn them off please," Shilo interrupted, leaning against the door. Graverobber hopped up the stairs and in a few moments the hall was engulfed in darkness. He turned on a light using another toggle on his way down.

Shilo was slowly making her way to the staircase. She braced herself against the banister as she made her way up the stairs, Graverobber following slowly beside her.

Shilo stared with grief to the end of the hall, and instead made her way to the guest room. She couldn't bear to be surrounded by the lies. Shilo turned the knob of the spare bedroom, which had never seen any guests for as long as she could remember.

Graverobber followed behind her, pausing a moment before entering the room. Shilo turned to face him.

"Will you. . . " Shilo paused. He stared at her, raising an eyebrow. "Across the hall. I can't go in there."

"What do you need?"

"My nightgown. Some clean things," Shilo said, flushed at the thought of someone going through her underthings. "In the bottom drawer of my dresser there are. . . Just pick one."

Graverobber left quickly, curiosity killing him. He wrenched open the bottom drawer of the dresser as soon as he entered the room. "Wigs," he sighed. He grabbed one and went to the wardrobe to pull out a white nightgown. At least, that is what he thought it was. _It's awfully short,_ he thought. He grabbed a clean pair of panties from the top drawer and grinned wickedly. He also pulled a pair of black stockings from the same drawer, noting that she usually wore something similar the times he had seen her.

Before he turned to leave, he took a moment to look around the room. _Sick bastard, _he thought, noticing the plastic curtains and medical machines. The stuffed animals stared morbidly back at him and he remembered just how much of a child Shilo really was. The only things in the room that reminded him even remotely of her were the cases of bugs. Graverobber grinned as he thought back to just a few nights ago when she first stumbled into his graveyard in pursuit of a glowing insect.

He took another brief moment to turn the switch on the glowing portrait before leaving. He felt bad for her, being surrounded by the image of the mother she never had a chance to know. He sighed. _Why do I care so much, anyway?_

_She's only a kid, _he reminded himself. _One who was poisoned by the same hand that nurtured. That same hand had killed her mother. The same hand had killed countless others for nothing more than an overdue payment. I may be a cold hearted self-centered asshole, but I feel for her._

Graverobber closed the door softly behind him and went to open the door across the hall. He paused as he was turning the handle and remembered to show a little decency. He knocked lightly on the door.

"Kid," he called, "Ya decent?"

"Yeah," he heard her call back quietly. The sound almost reminded him of a crying kitten.

Graverobber opened the door and left it slightly ajar behind him as he entered the room. Shilo had removed the torn fishnet gloves, a grid remaining on her arms from the filth. Her stockings were gone, and there was a line across her thighs where they had stopped.

Shilo turned to face him and it registered for the first time that she wasn't wearing her wig. _She looks almost natural without it,_ he thought. He handed her the things he had grabbed from her room, sans one.

Graverobber grinned wickedly as he unfolded her undergarment in front of his face. He looked at Shilo, studying her reaction. She merely looked at the floor, hand outstretched and a bright glow on her cheeks. He sighed and hesitantly handed them over.

"You're no fun," he teased.

"Well, excuse me for not being more enthusiastic," Shilo spat at him.

Graverobber held his tongue as Shilo disappeared into the bathroom. He sat on the floor, leaning against the end post of the bed. He felt guilty about teasing her, but he just wanted to see her crack a smile. At the very least, he wanted to take her mind off the things he was certain was racing through her head.

_Again, why do I care so much? She's only a kid, it's true, but I've seen kids in worse situations. At least she had a father, as sick and twisted as he was. Maybe I'm just a moth attracted to her pure light, _he mused.

Graverobber heard the water start in the other room. He couldn't help but imagine her porcelain, unaltered flesh as the water ran over her. He mentally cursed himself.

Graverobber pulled himself from the floor and began exploring the house, anything to take his mind off the images generated in his head.

It didn't take long for Graverobber to find the former repo-man's bed room. He stomach filled with a feeling he didn't quite know as he shuffled through Nathan Wallace's things. He liberated a v-neck t-shirt and loose linen pants from the repo-man's wardrobe. He stood in the middle of the room, taking it in. The feeling in his stomach consumed him as he looked around.

He drudged back into the guest bedroom and threw the clothing on the bed. He took his place back on the floor against the bedpost and listened for the water to stop running. A few minutes later, Shilo stepped out of the bathroom dressed in the short white nightgown. It took everything he had not to let out a long wolf whistle.

Her toes curled nervously in her black thigh-high socks. The band of flesh between her socks and end of the nightgown glistened lightly, still moist from the shower. Graverobber wanted nothing more than to caress those creamy thighs all night. _Not like she would actually let me, _he thought.

The wig Shilo was wearing was a short burgundy bob that framed her face just right. _Focus on her face, _he instructed himself, _Nothing else. Don't look at those creamy thighs and think about how those legs would feel wrapped around you._

"It suits you," he managed to say, taking in her full appearance.

"I'd rather have real hair," she said quietly, almost in embarrassment, as she took a seat on the bed. She held up the linen pants curiously.

"Is it alright?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Somehow, her permission seemed important. It's not like he's ever asked anyone for permission for anything, but with her it seemed vital. The knot in his stomach tightened.

Shilo rolled the pants and shirt into a ball and tossed them down to Graverobber. "I don't see how it would matter. He's dead. It's not like he will be needing them anymore," she spat at him.

That knot was so tight he leaned over and clutched his stomach. He gave her a guilty look. "I'm sorry, Kid. I just. . . I don't know. I guess I'm not too sensitive about things," he began, "And I've never been one to let things go to waste." He shifted and moved closer to her, sliding across the floor to sit by her feet. One stocking-clad leg brushed against his hand lightly. "Are you sure you want me to stay?" he asked, taking in a deep breath.

Shilo looked at him in horror. Her eyes looked so pained, Graverobber had to tear his own away. He let out a sigh. "Please don't leave," she whispered. He looked up at her in interest. "I don't have anyone else."

The knot that was in his stomach loosened lightly. Graverobber paused for a few moments before standing, grabbing the bundle of clothing, and heading toward the bathroom. "Don't change your mind, Kid," he said as he closed the door behind him.

Graverobber took his time, scrubbing away the dirt and grime that comes with his job. After all, he didn't know when his next shower would be. At the rate this was going, she was going to throw him out by morning. He felt so filthy compared to her, even when seeing her covered in blood and muck.

He took care in scrubbing away the aftermath of Amber's 'payment'. Not once did he actually ever stoop that low, accepting sex as payment. He didn't really know why he did it in the first place; he wasn't really attracted to her. She was too plastic for him.

_It was a moment of weakness,_ he thought. _I was lonely and she was the first slut to throw herself at me._

Lonely? Since when had he ever been lonely?

Graverobber finished scrubbing the shampoo from his hair and scrubbed at his face. He dried off with one of the towels hanging on the wall, shaking out some dust before he did so. _When was the last time there were actual visitors here? _He found himself asking.

He slipped the linen pants on and tied them on his hips with the drawstring. He was just about to pull the shirt over his head when he heard a loud crash from the bedroom.

For the first time in a long time, Graverobber felt genuinely panicked. In all of his years robbing graves, it had all been a game. It was just a game of cat and mouse with the GeneCops, with him being a mouse that never got caught. He never felt panicked, just got a momentary cheap thrill. This was different, though. His heart practically jumped out of his chest.

Graverobber burst through the door and found Shilo on the floor. Her wrist-band was beeping loudly and repeating, "Blood Pressure Warning, Blood Pressure Warning. Medicate Immediately."

"Kid," he called out, running to her and pulling her into his lap. "Where is your medicine? How-"

"It's the poison," she said softly with a shiver. He could sense the fear in her voice. "I have to fight through it. . . Until it's out of my system." Her words were short and breathy. She was struggling to say such simple phrases.

"Will it take long? To clear out?" Graverobber asked, holding her in his lap.

"I don't know," she breathed after a few moments of silence. She looked up at him and began tracing the scar across his stomach with her fingertips. "Did you have surgery?"

"No," he stated. She looked at him curiously. "There are a lot of angry people in this world," he continued, "Addicts tend to be angrier than the rest."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Again, the sound reminded him of a crying kitten.

"It was a long time ago," he said with a weak smile.

"How long?"

"I was 13," he said, absently pushing some of the wig fibers out of her face with his fingertips.

"How long ago was that?"

"Does it matter?" Graverobber spoke, a tad more aggressive than intended. Shilo fell silent. He picked her up and placed her gently on the bed.

"How about I run down to the kitchen and get us something to eat?" Graverobber suggested.

"OK," Shilo said hesitantly. It seemed to him that the look in her eyes was begging him not to leave her alone.

"Anything in particular you would like, Kid?"

"There should be some cinnamon bread on the counter. Just some toast would be nice," she said with a soft smile.

"Butter?"

"Please."

"Alright. Don't die while I'm gone," Graverobber said with a wink as he left the room and ventured downstairs. He returned a few minutes later with two slices of cinnamon toast for each of them wrapped in a napkin and two glasses of milk.

Graverobber handed Shilo one napkin and glass and took a spot on the floor to demolish the cinnamon toast. They ate in an awkward silence.

"Thanks," she said finally as she finished.

"So, about that warm bed. . ." Graverobber reminded her.

"Pick one," she said, pulling herself up against the pillows.

"You don't want me to do that," he said in a growl.

"Why?" she asked, fear biting at her words.

Graverobber stood and sat on the bed beside her. "Because I'll choose the one with you in it," he whispered into her ear.

Shilo shivered. "I don't want to be alone," she reminded him in a whisper. Graverobber pulled the covers over them both. He switched off the bedside lamp.

"I don't want to be alone either," Graverobber growled, pulling the tiny girl close to him.

AN: Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Please review!


	2. Chapter 2:  Night at Day

Nightlight

Chapter Two

Night at Day

"I don't want to be alone either," Graverobber growled, pulling the tiny girl close to him.

Shilo squeaked from the unfamiliar contact. Graverobber wrapped an arm around her waist and she stiffened.

"Relax," he breathed. He moved a few burgundy strands out of her face. "Why do you wear these?" he asked, fingering the strands of the wig.

"It makes me feel at least a little bit normal," she replied absently.

"Normal is overrated," he said as he moved the around her waist so his hand lay on the small of her back. "You look nice without it," he said sleepily.

"But I don't look like other girls," she complained.

"That's a good thing," he said with a yawn.

Graverobber nuzzled his face into Shilo's neck. She stiffened again with a gasp. "Relax Kid," he said, his breath tickling her neck. "I'm not going to hurt you." He ran his fingers slowly up her back. She shivered and curled closer to him. "Unless you want me to," he whispered into her ear.

Shilo shrunk back then buried her face into his chest. She wrapped her arms tightly around him. "Please stop," she whimpered.

Shilo's mind was racing. _What am I doing? What is he doing? I'm not ready for this! His hand is wrapped around my waist. But he is so warm. And comfortable._

"Sorry," he whispered. He released his hold on her waist and moved to turn on hiss other side. She tightened her hold on him.

"No," she whispered. He turned back to her and raised his eyebrow. "Just. . . Lay with me? I don't think I can handle the rest."

Graverobber resumed his previous position and wrapped an arm around her waist. She nuzzled her face into his neck. _So warm, _she thought.

"Thank you," she whispered. She closed her eyes and slowly drifted to sleep.

_God, I'm such a sick bastard, _Graverobber thought. _She just lost everything and I just want to touch her. _Shilo stirred lightly in his arms. _So intoxicating, _he thought as he drifted to sleep as well.

Nightmares plagued Shilo as she slept. It was not a nightmare about the opera. No, she was not reliving the events of a few nights before. She was dreaming about the future, a horrible future that put her on the streets. She was cold and lonely. There were so many faces: beautiful, genetically perfected faces. They were all closing in on her.

They were all accusing her. _Of what? I didn't do anything wrong!_ Shilo thought as she dreamed.

"You were supposed to take care of us!" They shouted at her. _Take care of you? I don't even know how to take care of myself!_

Her dream switched into a different direction. She saw her house empty and crumbling. Her mother's tomb was defiled with graffiti. She felt empty. She was going to die on the streets with no one.

Shilo woke, realizing she was safe in bed. She slowly pulled away from Graverobber's arms. She looked at his face for a few moments as he slept. He was wearing a small smile which looked so different from his usual grin. Shilo sighed and removed herself from her bed.

_What am I going to do? _Shilo thought. _I don't know the first thing about the world. Dad never taught me anything useful. Bills and jobs and taxes... where do I start? I feel like I'm drowning._

When Graverobber woke, his arms felt empty. He blinked a few times but found himself right back in the Wallace guest bed.

_It wasn't a dream, _he thought, smile playing on his lips. _But. . . where is she? _He opened his eyes wide and looked around the dark room.

Shilo was slouching in a wooden chair near a small desk by the bedroom door. "Kid?" he asked sleepily. He stretched his legs and sat up against the pillows. "Are you ok?"

"I don't know what to do," she said quietly. The pain in her voice made him uncomfortable.

"Don't worry about it, Kid. Come back to bed. I'm cold," he said with a mock pout. He patted the empty space beside him. Shilo stared for a moment before crawling next to him. He wrapped his arm around her waist again.

"I don't have a job. I don't know how to have a job. I can't pay for this house. I know there are bills and-"

"Calm down," Graverobber instructed. "It'll be ok. Just take some time."

"I don't even have a key to my own house," she said on the brink of tears.

"We will find you one. Just relax. You have enough to deal with," he said, rubbing circles through with his fingertips on her back through her nightgown.

"You'll help me?" she said as she looked up at him with hopeful eyes. Graverobber chuckled.

"As long as that deal is still on the table," he said, pulling her closer.

"What deal?"

"Hot shower, hot meal, warm bed. The company is an added bonus," he said with a familiar grin.

"You promise?" she asked.

"I couldn't leave a pretty young thing like you all on your own," he said. He couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. "Someone would snatch you away. Corrupt you."

"You won't corrupt me?"

"I never said that," he said with a low chuckle. "But I see the beauty in your purity. Not many are like that."

Shilo remained silent. "Now I'm going to run out. I have a few things to take care of. I'll grab us some breakfast and some other necessities." He pulled away from the girl in his arms and peeled away the covers.

"Can't I come with?" she asked.

"You need to relax. Get some more sleep. You're still not well enough to venture out," he said as he pulled the t-shirt he liberated last night over his head.

"But-"

"Don't let anyone in. I'll be back as soon as I can," he interrupted.

"Don't leave me alone," she begged.

"Go back to sleep. You won't even know I'm gone," he said. He moved closer to her and stroked her face.

Shilo yawned. "Okay," she said reluctantly. She pulled the covers up over her shoulders.

"Remember, don't let anyone in but me, okay? I don't want anyone stealing you away."

Shilo gave a light laugh and a soft "Okay," before snuggling into the pillows.

Graverobber smiled lightly before closing the door softly. He left as silently as he could, locking the front door behind him as he left. In a swift motion, he had hopped the gate and was walking briskly down the street. The thick smog blocked most of the morning light, sending the city into an eternal darkness. The floating billboards sent an eerie glow over the city.

Graverobber moved quickly through the streets, hopping on the occasional GeneCo cleanup truck. He made his way to the east side of the city. He climbed one of the fire escapes and disappeared into one of the windows.

The room was slightly unkempt, but not exactly dirty. The coffee table was littered with wrappers, cups, newspapers, and books. Two cats meowed at him as he made his way to the other side of the room.

"Sorry guys," he said as one rubbed against his leg. "I got a little side-tracked." He knelt down and picked up two large dishes from the floor. He filled one with water and the other with the kibble stored in the cabinet under the sink.

"I'll be back tomorrow," he said, scratching the smaller cat behind the ears. The meowed happily and stretched into the scratch. Graverobber smiled and took the kitten into his lap. The other cat rubbed warmly up his side.

"I have some stuff to take care of. I don't know when I'll be back for good," he said, laying the kitten back on the floor. He meowed in protest. Graverobber made his way to the bedroom. Two cats trailed behind him. He lifted a wooden box from under the broken mattress.

Graverobber fiddled with the combination for a moment before the case popped open.

Shilo woke up to a series of loud bangs resounding through the house. Cautiously, she made her way down to the lower staircase. She peered through the barred glass door.

"How did you get through the gate?" she called to the group standing outside her door. "Go away! I want to be alone!" The man with two faces stared at her with an eerie smile, flanked by two female bodyguards. "Please, just go away!" she called to them again, not moving from the staircase. She saw the two-faced man nod to the two guards and they both disappeared into the limo outside of the gates.

"Shilo," he said softly, "Please-uh come down."

"What do you want?" Shilo asked, holding tight to the banister.

"The Pavi wishes to speak-uh with you," he said, flashing his eerie smile once more.

"You can talk from there," she said, eyeing him suspiciously.

"You're being terribly rude," he accused, inner lips curling into a frown as his outer lips continues smiling.

"Forgive me for not being more inviting," she spat at him. "But I leave my house for one day and my entire world turns upside-down. Your father killed mine!"

"The Pavi just-uh wants to talk," he said sadly, "He feels your pain."

Shilo's eyes softened. _He just lost his Dad, too, _she thought. She stepped down the stairs slowly, leaning on the banister. Her legs gave way and her wristband started calling the all too familiar warnings.

"Shilo!" Pavi called, pressing his face and hands to the glass.

Shilo slowly got to her feet and stumbled the rest of the way to the door. She held her chest and gasped for air. "Please, leave," she said quietly, leaning against the cold glass.

"You're sick. The Pavi can help," he said, peering through the iron bars at the weak girl.

"I was poisoned my entire life," she spat, "Or did you not hear that at the opera?"

"Exactly why you need-uh help!" he exclaimed.

"The last time I accepted help from someone, they killed my father," she said painfully.

"The Pavi will not hurt you!"

"Why exactly do you want to help me?" Shilo said, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Your body might-uh be shutting down from the poison, eh? It's-uh been in your system so long."

"What do you get out of it?" she repeated with a hiss.

"Generosity is the new face of GeneCo," he stated simply.

"I don't want to be a charity case," she hissed. Her wristband was still spouting loud warnings.

"What-uh choice do you have?" he retorted with a low voice.

_What choice do I have?_ Shilo thought for a moment. "Please leave," she requested again.

"At least-uh hear what I have to say!" he said, pressing his face to the glass again. Shilo cringed away.

"Please leave," she repeated.

"Shilo-"

"Another time," she said softly, sliding down the glass to sit on the floor.

"Just listen-"

"Reach me by hallophone," she suggested, "In a couple of days. I can't do anything right now."

"You need a doctor!"

"Then I will find one. I can't trust you and I can't trust GeneCo," she admitted.

"I am not my father!" he said, sadness biting at his voice. "What would make you let Pavi in, hmm?"

"I can't let anyone in until he comes back," she said, regretting the statement as soon as it left her lips.

"Who?" Pavi questioned.

"My friend," Shilo said after a moment.

"Your friend? The grave robber?" Pavi asked. Shilo remained silent. "He got-uh you away from the festival, yes?" Again, Shilo remained silent.

"Send your guards away," she requested. "You will stay on that side of the door."

"Did he?"

"He has nothing to do with anything," she said defensively.

"We were supposed to meet at the festival," Pavi said absently. He waved the limo away and sat in the doorway. He draped a perfectly manicured hand over one knee.

"Why do you wear someone else's face?" Shilo asked. She was getting weaker and her mind was drifting. "I'm sure you're really good looking without it." Pavi just gave an awkward smile to the tiny girl. "To be honest, your second face scares me," Shilo continued. "It's like you're wearing a monster mask. No matter how beautiful the face might have been, it's terrifying to me now."

Pavi frowned. The other set of lips remained in a morbid smile. "When you see me next time, will you let me see your face?" Shilo asked.

"Next time?"

Shilo groaned in pain. The alert from her wristband continued to cut into the awkward silence. Shilo pressed her face against the cold glass. "Maybe I will need that doctor. . . "

Pavi lifted his hand and pressed it to the glass as if to caress her face. "I will send for one, yes? At five-oh-clock. That will be ok, yes?"

"It should be. It's not like I'm going anywhere," she said slowly in pained spurts.

Pavi rose and waved his hand into the air. In a few moments, his limo pulled up to the gate. He smiled to Shilo and gave a bow. Within a few moments, he was gone. Shilo remained in the doorway. She drifted to sleep, trying to imagine the masked man's smile without the mask.


End file.
